The permissibility of donkeys in Islam is a question that often arises among Muslims. There are some conflicting opinions on whether donkeys are halal (permitted) or haram (forbidden) according to Islamic law.
What does the Quran say about donkeys?
The Quran does not directly address the permissibility of donkeys. However, some verses mention donkeys in a neutral or positive light:
“And to Midian We sent their brother Shu’ayb. He said, “O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers.” (Quran 7:85)
“And tell them about the guests of Abraham. When they entered upon him and said, “Peace.” [Abraham] said, “Indeed, we are fearful of you.” They said, “Fear not. We give you good tidings of a learned boy.” He said, “Have you given me good tidings although old age has come upon me? Then of what [wonder] do you inform?” They said, “We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing.” He said, “And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?” [Abraham] said, “Then what is your business [here], O messengers?” They said, “Indeed, we have been sent to a people of criminals. Except for the family of Lot; indeed, we will save them all. Except his wife.” Allah decreed that she is of those who remain behind. And when the messengers came to the family of Lot…He said, “Indeed, you are people unknown.” They said, “But we have come to you with that about which they were disputing. And we have come to you with truth, and indeed, we are truthful. So set out with your family during a portion of the night and follow behind them and let not anyone among you look back and continue on to where you are commanded.” And We conveyed to him [the decree] of that matter: that those [sinners] would be eliminated by early morning. And the inhabitants of the city came rejoicing.[Lot] said, “Indeed, these are my guests, so do not shame me. And fear Allah and do not disgrace me.” They said, “Have we not forbidden you from [protecting] people?” [Lot] said, “These are my daughters – if you would be doers [of lawful marriage].” By your life, [O Muhammad], indeed they were, in their intoxication, wandering blindly. So the shriek seized them at sunrise. And We made the highest part [of the city] its lowest and rained upon them stones of hard clay.” (Quran 15:51-74)
These verses mention donkeys in a neutral context as a means of transportation used by messengers and prophets. The donkeys themselves are not praised or condemned.
Hadiths on donkeys
Several hadiths (sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad) specifically mention donkeys. Here are some key narrations:
“Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “While a man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and said, ‘I have not been created for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been created for sloughing.” The Prophet added, “I, Abu Bakr and `Umar believe in the story.” The Prophet went on, “A wolf caught a sheep, and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said, ‘Who will be its guard on the day of wild beasts, when there will be no shepherd for it except me?’ “After narrating it, the Prophet said, “I, Abu Bakr and `Umar too believe it.” Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, “Abu Bakr and `Umar were not present then.” (It has been written that a wolf also spoke to one of the companions of the Prophet near Medina as narrated in Fatah-al-Bari: Narrated Unais bin ‘Amr: Ahban bin Aus said, “I was amongst my sheep. Suddenly a wolf caught a sheep and I shouted at it. The wolf sat on its tail and addressed me, saying, ‘Who will look after it (i.e. the sheep) when you will be busy and not able to look after it? Do you forbid me the provision which Allah has provided me?’ ” Ahban added, “I clapped my hands and said, ‘By Allah, I have never seen anything more curious and wonderful than this!’ On that the wolf said, ‘There is something (more curious) and wonderful than this; that is, Allah’s Apostle in those palm trees, inviting people to Allah (i.e. Islam).’ “Unais bin ‘Amr further said, “Then Ahban went to Allah’s Apostle and informed him what happened and embraced Islam.)” palm trees or other trees and share the fruits with me.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3323)
“A man bought a donkey from another man on credit. The former complained to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that the donkey had died before he could pay its price in full. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ruled that he could pay only in proportion to the amount he had benefited from the donkey.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 3535)
These hadiths show donkeys being used for transportation and in commercial transactions, again without any prohibition. The hadith about the donkey and cow speaking is considered weak by most scholars and not used as a basis for law.
Views of the jurists
The majority opinion among Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence is that donkeys are permitted and pure. Here are some key opinions:
– According to the Hanafi school, donkeys are categorized as livestock (dawabb) whose meat is halal to consume.
– The Maliki school considers donkeys to be pure (tahir) because they are similar to horses, mules and donkeys which are undisputedly pure in Islam.
– The Shafi’i school explicitly states that donkeys are halal and purified.
– The Hanbali school rules that donkeys are halal and permitted.
So the mainstream Sunni position is that donkeys are permissible and halal, based on the lack of prohibition in Quran and hadiths as well as analogical reasoning drawing comparisons to similar livestock animals.
Objections by some scholars
Despite the predominant view of permissibility, a minority of classical scholars had reservations about donkeys being halal:
– According to one report, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal disliked eating donkey meat.
– Imam al-Shafi’i is reported to have held the opinion that donkeys are filth (najas) according to one view, while his main position was that they are pure.
– Some Hanafi jurists viewed donkey meat as makruh (disliked) based on it being socially unacceptable.
However, these minority opinions were outweighed by the mainstream position of permissibility within each school. Moreover, the view of donkeys being najas had little practical implication as the animal itself was not prohibited from being kept.
Are donkeys ritually impure?
In terms of ritual purity, the majority of scholars state that donkeys are not intrinsically najas (ritually impure). However, there are differences on whether they can invalidate wudu:
– According to the Hanafi and Maliki schools, a donkey does not invalidate wudu by touch.
– According to the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools, a donkey will invalidate wudu if touched.
So views differ on whether touching a donkey necessitates renewing one’s ablution before prayer. But overall, donkeys are not deemed ritually impure animals.
Conclusion
Based on scholarly evidence from Quran and hadiths, the mainstream position is that donkeys are halal and permitted in Islam. Donkeys were commonly owned and used as working animals during the Prophet’s time, with no prohibition. While a minority of scholars disliked or expressed caution about their permissibility, the majority view is that donkeys are permissible to keep and consume. Additionally, donkeys are not deemed to be ritually impure animals according to most schools of law. So in summary, while differences exist, the predominant Islamic ruling is that donkeys are permitted and halal. Scholars infer permissibility from the lack of explicit prohibition and the animal’s close similarities to horses, mules and donkeys which are undisputedly halal.